The Great Southwest Equestrian Center is home to some of the most respected horse shows in the country, and it's right on Mason Road. Head in for a show or learn to ride during the week. Children are welcome for lessons, too.

The Great Southwest Equestrian Center is home to some of the most respected horse shows in the country, and it's right on Mason Road. Head in for a show or ... more

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff

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Shoot skeet or perfect your shot

Take a shooting lesson from a pro at American Shooting Center at 16500 Westheimer Parkway. Make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Eye and ear protection is required and available for purchase at the range.

Grab a bottle of wine and some friends for a BYOB painting class at Pinot's Palette (2910 Commercial Center). Choose which mural you'd like to create by visiting the website's calendar: pinotspalette.com/Katy

Whether you opt for an in-store painting class at Harry the Potter (1115 S. Mason Road), or if you prefer the company head to your house, this is the premier crafts places for those looking to learn pottery and painting.

Whether you opt for an in-store painting class at Harry the Potter (1115 S. Mason Road), or if you prefer the company head to your house, this is the premier crafts places for those looking to ... more

Photo: Craig Hartley, Freelance

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Watch a football game

High school football in Katy is intensely competitive, which makes going to games a fun time. Head to a football game and root for one of the well-trained teams with a hot dog and a lively crowd.

For a look back at past games and school rivalries, take a look at our coverage on chron.com/katy

All of the lanes have TVs at end of the lane, and there's an adjoining billiard area for those who prefer a game of pool. The indoor space is a family-friendly place to host your child's next birthday party to catch up with old friends.

Mobility committee to aid Katy growth as area surpasses Pittsburgh population

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With the Katy-area population now larger than that of Pittsburgh, the Katy Area Economic Council has enhanced efforts to ensure transportation and infrastructure challenges are addressed.

A new EDC committee will advocate for mobility projects in the northern part of the community as well as areas by the Grand Parkway and in the Energy Corridor.

The idea for the committee arose during a leadership event hosted by the EDC earlier in the year at EDC headquarters where 62 civic and business leaders gathered, according to Lance LaCour, the council's president/CEO.

Among the concerns presented by participants in the leadership event were that public safety vehicles and ambulances had difficulty negotiating traffic during emergencies, that traffic in the Katy Independent School District is getting heavier and that commutes to the Energy Corridor or downtown Houston are challenging, according to statements provided by LaCour.

Event participants saw no short-term solutions.

"Forming a committee for mobility and infrastructure is highly important in suburban and urban areas and a top factor in economic development success," LaCour said. "The growth really has been phenomenal, and I believe the Katy area has handled the growth well and in a quality way with great, new amenities."

The committee is formed by nine members from local businesses such as LJA Engineering that have already met twice.

The EDC is developing a map with proposed mobility projects, according to LaCour, who also said the council submitted a letter of support for a proposed transit project in the Energy Corridor, which if approved would include a handful of vehicles circulating the Memorial Drive to Westheimer areas for public transportation.

The council is pushing for improved mobility in Katy's north side, which is buzzing with commercial development and wants an extension of managed lanes to the Grand Parkway.

The committee will also look to educate area residents about mobility issues through entities such as churches and also plans research options for public transit in the Katy area.

To beef up its efforts regarding mobility, the council realigned several committees.

The city of Katy will use the work of the EDC's new committee to aid its own mobility and infrastructure group, City Administrator Byron Hebert said.

"I'm glad they (formed a committee). Mobility and infrastructure are a big deal," Hebert said. "Any time you get a growing area, thought for your infrastructure and roads is a must, because you can't have gridlock. As we have more land we have to have enough sewage, water street capacity."

According to the analytics company Alteryx, the Katy area's population is 309,556 compared to the city of Pittsburgh's 308,237. A year ago, the EDC projected that the Katy area's population would surpass Pittsburgh, but the milestone came sooner than expected.

Council officials have been comparing the area to Pittsburgh ever since they hosted an economic leadership group from the Steel City years ago.

In the past decade, the Katy-area population, which is usually defined by the Katy ISD boundaries, has grown between 4 percent and 6 percent each year, and the area has seen 200,000 people move in since 2000, according to EDC data.

The council, which gathers Katy area economic data, works with local businesses and helps form economic plans, said the area's population should reach 350,000 by 2020, spurred by job opportunities, an attractive school district and what the group described as "affordable housing options," though the market value of area homes has ballooned in recent years leading to rising property tax bills.

As communities grow, the most challenging factor in dealing with growth is mobility and infrastructure, Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said.

"Mobility access accommodates economic development, commercial growth and quality of life," said Meyers, whose precinct includes part of Katy. "It's absolutely essential to have mobility to keep pace with population growth because with population comes more cars and traffic. The difficult part is that it takes a long time to build roads because of environmental studies and having to go through the state and (federal government); so you have to plan ahead."

Hebert also said that he's not surprised the Katy area surpassed Pittsburgh.

"It might be Pittsburgh now, tomorrow an even bigger city … I don't see us not continuing to grow," he said.